SENATE DOCKET, NO. 868        FILED ON: 1/19/2017

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1400

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Kenneth J. Donnelly

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to the annual allowance for certain survivors of public retirees and employees.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 868        FILED ON: 1/19/2017

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1400

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)

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An Act relative to the annual allowance for certain survivors of public retirees and employees.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Option (d) of section 12 of chapter 32 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2014 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the words “or $500”, in line 230, the following words:- or $750.

SECTION 2. Said option (d) of said section 12 of said chapter 32, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after the eleventh paragraph the following paragraph:-

Beginning July 1, 2017, the normal monthly member-survivor allowance provided for under this option to a spouse of a deceased member shall not be less than $750 for members of the state teachers’ and state employees’ retirement system. The provisions of this paragraph shall take effect for the members of a retirement system of any other political subdivision by a majority vote of the board of such system and by the local legislative body. For the purpose of this paragraph, local legislative body shall mean the board of selectmen for a town system, the city council subject to the provisions of its charter for a city system, the county retirement board advisory council for a county system, the regional retirement board advisory council for a regional system, the district members for a district system and the governing body of an authority for an authority system. Acceptance shall be deemed to have occurred upon the filing of a certification of such vote with the commission.

SECTION 3. Said option (d) of said section 12 of said chapter 32, as so appearing, shall apply to the spouse of a deceased member who remarried before July 1, 2000, and whose pension, upon remarriage, was terminated or otherwise reduced under option (d) of said section 12 of said chapter 32.

SECTION 4. Sections 9 and 100 of said chapter 32, as so appearing, shall apply to the surviving spouse of a member who remarried before July 1, 2000, and whose pension, upon remarriage, was terminated or otherwise reduced under said sections 9 or 100 of said chapter 32.

SECTION 5. Section 101 of said chapter 32, as so appearing, shall apply to the widow of a member who remarried prior to July 1, 2000, and whose pension, upon remarriage, was terminated or otherwise reduced under said section 101 of said chapter 32.

SECTION 6. This act shall be prospective from the effective date of this act and shall not entitle any surviving spouse, spouse of a deceased member or widow to any retroactive benefits.